The Highwayman
by Fawksie Puppet
Summary: A midnight meeting of lovers leads to a series of tragic events. Rated K to be safe. A one-shot, AU for obvious reasons. Loosely based around a song.


This fan fiction is based around the song The Highwayman, specifically the adaptation by Loreena McKennitt. Of course, some things have been changed, in both the song and in the workings of the InuYasha setting, making this slightly AU. At the end, you will find a bit that has been inspired by Wheezambu's fic 'The Youkai and The Exterminator', but only in the pairing. This is, of course, a one-shot fic.

I do not own InuYasha, or anything affiliated with it. The version of the song I'm using belongs to Loreena McKennitt, but I don't think the song in general does. Kuchinashi, InuTaishou's horse, is an OC created by Wheezambu and used with permission.

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It almost looked as if a storm was rising in the night. Despite the full moon, lighting the path  
before him like a white ribbon cutting through the dusky purples of the forest through which he rode, the wind was tossing leaves from the trees onto the dirt, causing the dried foliage to clatter and scrape across the dirt and rocks like the bones of so many dead. The wind was also scattering dark clouds through the sky, blocking out the ocean of stars he loved so much.

The wind also caused his hair to flutter like a silver banner in the night, as it also did to the mane and tail of his mount. It served as a source of wonder for him that his hair should match that of Kuchinashi's mane and tail so closely. They were more alike than the primal brain of his stallion could ever know. Not that it mattered. Not tonight. All that mattered tonight was that the demon steed beneath him behaved while he went to her side.

"Izayoi…"

Dressed as the regal being he was, the Inu no Taishou, daimyo of the Western Lands, pressed through the night, heading for the human village that his mistress called home. The fur cloak, actually a parasitic demon of its own, fluttered like twin tails behind him as he descended the hill that would lead him to the back gate; an escape for the humans, a free entrance for his use. His human's nursemaid made sure that, upon request, the gate was left unlocked for him to use.

It was years of steadfast loyalty and love, as well as a bit of taiyoukai mind influence that kept the old woman from telling anyone in the household or otherwise about the demon who courted their lord's daughter by moonlight. Tonight was no different, and the demon lord pushed open the gate silently, urging Nashi through, despite the beast's expressed dislike of humans. They smelled awkward.

Into the dark yard and garden where his human spent much of her time, he strove onward, pressing through without a thought save to reach her window. He had a date with destiny, but he had to see her before he left. Should it be his last day to walk in this world as a living being, he wanted to make sure he had seen her one last time.

Dismounting smoothly, he stepped to the shuttered window and rapped on it three times with his knuckles. His golden eyes shone appreciatively as he watched the shutters open almost as soon as he'd knocked. She had been waiting for him, braiding her hair as she did so.

Half finished with the long black plait; she opened the concealing shuttered to reveal the handsome face of her demon lover. Her eyes lit up happily, as they always did, and she watched as a small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. It was almost… wistful, but more than that, it was the same mysterious look she'd been entranced with the first time she'd ever seen him.

Even now, as he stood at her window, running one smooth thumb over her cheek, Izayoi couldn't help but realize that she really knew nothing about her lover. He came to her by moonlight, took her in passion, and held her until she fell asleep, but he was always gone when she awoke in the morning. The girl, for girl she really was, had no way of knowing if the man she loved returned her  
feelings, and her human nature made her too shy to ever ask.. She leaned her face into his palm and listened as he began to speak.

"I've something to do, Izayoi. If all goes well, I should be able to return to you before dawn. However, I may be kept longer, and in that case, do as you have always done and watch for me by the moonlight. I'll return to you, even if hell decides to bar my way," he said, placing a soft kiss on her lips before she could speak.

With that, he remounted Kuchinashi, who snorted and pawed at the ground, ready to bear the Inu no Taishou into whatever future awaited him. He reached for her hand, but was only able to grasp the tips of her fingers. The inu youkai gave them a reassuring squeeze as the half-finished braid came loose and tumbled over her shoulder while she leaned out the window, desperate to hold onto him as long as she could; the enigmatic ghost of a demon who was her lover.

Spurring his mount on with a brush of his mind, the demon lord rode from the garden and headed west, toward his fate. Ryuukossei was waiting.

End Part I

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Part II

Through the night, the young woman waited, watching for a hint of her lover through the darkness. Never did a hint come. As the sun shifted higher in the sky, her eyelids began to droop. Staying up all night had proved to be a strain on her mind and as noon hit, the girl slipped into sleep. He wouldn't appear during midday, so she had a few hours before she needed to reawaken to watch for his return.

As the sun came to rest in the cradle of the hills, bathing the world in tawny light, Izayoi woke  
to the sound of voices outside. Her father's guards were on alert, and she sat up to try and catch a glimpse of what had them riled. He knew better than to be seen by the guard, so she knew it couldn't be her enigmatic.

A troop was marching on the palace. The young woman dashed to another part of her home where she would be better able to see. Wood-toned eyes caught a glimpse of fabric; a flag.

A flag she knew.

Setsuna Takemaru… She hadn't ever thought he would be the type to march on her father. From what she'd gathered, both from her father and from listening in on private conversations, she'd thought her father and the young lord were on good terms. She'd known him for years, and in her heart, she'd harbored more than friendly feelings for him.

Still… She had other loyalties than those of her childish crush at the moment, and the girl skittered back to her room to resume watching for her lover. A hand stalled over her stomach; her secret. There was no room for Takemaru any longer. Not when she was carrying the child of one of the most powerful demons in history in her womb.

- - - -

Sake held the silent attentions of Takemaru and his men for the moment. They said hardly a word to the resident lord, but just continued drinking instead. Takemaru was troubled by something his information network had stumbled upon. He'd come to further investigate, and despite the lack of conversation, it was well known by the lord of the house why he was there.

With the drinks finished, minds turned to the task at hand. Up to Izayoi's room the men went, not making the slightest effort to conceal their presence. It wasn't like she had anywhere to go, anyway, and she would never expect what they were going to do, so there simply wasn't a need.

As the rice paper door to her room slammed open, the girl looked up in surprise from her window. Without warning; a few screams and kicks later, the girl found herself gagged and bound at the foot of her bed. Tears stood out in her dark brown eyes as she watched Takemaru enter her room.

"I know this treatment seems rough, Izayoi-sama, but we simply can't have that cur of a demon sniffing around you any longer. I know he will return for you soon, and so we shall lie in wait for him, and put him down like the dog he is. You'll no longer have to fear the nights when he comes calling for you," he said, tipping her chin up so her eyes met his.

"You see, I've been working my diplomacy in other places aside from your father's courts. As a  
result, I've received a very gracious gift from the mainland. Even the Inu no Taishou will fall before my new weapon," he said, holding up the talked-about weapon.

Never before had the girl seen anything like it, and it struck fear into every fiber of her being. Surely, that thing, that frail-looking metal stick, wouldn't bring down her demon lover? He was too strong, right? Despite everything, she struggled against her bindings, only to feel the sharp sting of metal biting into the flesh between her breasts.

Through her gag, she gasped and looked once more to Takemaru. His eyes were devoid of anything aside from jealous retribution. "I'm sorry, Izayoi-sama, but I can't have you running off to warn the demon of our trap. You'll remain here, under constant guard. It truly is for your own good. If I were you, I wouldn't move too much. There is a katana tied into that binding with you, and too much moving will only harm you," he said, and with that, swept from the room.

As the girl stood there, tied to attention, she was thankful that she could see out her window. Still, the company Takemaru had left her with wasn't the best. Snickering and jesting about the girl's choice in lovers, one soldier was brave enough to seal his lips against the girl's for a moment. "Now, keep a good watch for the demon, girl. We need all eyes open," he chuckled; amused by the way tears welled in her eyes once more.

Despite their teasing and torment, the girl kept her eyes fastened on the road she knew he would travel to her. In her mind, his words replayed over and over, keeping her mind right and clear. He would come by the moonlight and then, she would be free.

There!

In the distance, her ears detected the faint sound of hooves, and there was no mistaking that sound. Senses heightened by the babe within here, and many nights of hearing that same sound, she knew it to be Kuchinashi. He was coming.

The soldiers looked to their captive, but she remained straight-backed and silent to them. Her mind was far away from them as her eyes beheld the vision of her beloved. He was too close, and all day, the vision of the unknown weapon ate at her. It was better if he never had to encounter it.

The cold of the past nights had only intensified, and small puffs issued from the demon mount's nose  
as he and his charge rode in silence toward the princess. Each hoof beat seemed to echo into the night eerily. He was drawn like a moth to the light she provided for his darkness.

Eyes fixed almost unseeingly on his growing silhouette, the girl drew one last, deep breath as two tears paved stark pathways down her cheeks. If it would keep him from harm, she would go through with this one last action. With all the strength she could, the girl curled upon herself, driving the blade into her chest.

A rattling gasp drew the attention of one of the guards. Looking over, he let out a strangled cry to see the blood flowing from her chest. A small smile was fixed on her lips in death, even as they dripped still-warm blood.

The three who'd been assigned to be her keepers dashed from the room, shouting for Takemaru. In their carelessness, they'd raised their voices. The demon stopped, his brows drawn together as he listened to the unfamiliar shouting of voices in the home of his human woman.

With an agitated sigh, he rounded Kuchinashi and headed away from the area. He knew better than  
to approach when there were strangers about. Izayoi would have to wait. At least for tonight. With the quick pace set, the dog demon escaped before he could be detected. He only left behind a tiny flea of a demon to report back to him what was going on within the house.

- - - -

With the dawn came a wave of rage and grief, wrapped and tied within one another. Myouga had returned to his lord with the news of Izayoi's death. He'd been a fool to think that strange voices, voices that meant bad news for demons, could have possibly meant any better news for other humans.

"What a fool I am, Myouga," he chuckled darkly, darkness burning brighter than ever within his demon soul as he rose and stalked from the room, like death itself roaming the corridors of the fortress. The maids scattered away from him like roaches from torchlight as he moved on.

He was like the ghost of his father in that moment, vengeful and twisted by hate, grief, desires… and perhaps many other emotions that humans are incapable of comprehending in their naivety. The silence was thick and potent, clinging like a foul gas as he donned his armor and swept his long hair into a severe topknot.

That same silence reigned supreme as he swept from the grounds astride his demon mount. Be damn any prior concerns, obligations, or anything else of the like. The Lord of the West rode on, racing down the all-too-familiar road with the fury of a thousand hells gnawing at his being.

Golden hues, frozen with all the contempt one could muster watched as the dog demon was drawn away by the siren call of a human woman. The only rival he'd ever known… He'd been nearly ready to take the throne by force, too…

"Father… You are a fool."

- - - -

It was a far cry from night when the white-haired demon appeared from over the brow of the hill. The overwhelming presence of his youki was staggering, almost to the point that it crackled dangerously about him; a dark cloud lifting and billowing his hair and twin-tailed 'cloak'.

A god, come down for wrath.

He made no move to conceal his actions as he moved steadily toward the estate. He had yet to draw his blade, and his face was steeped in shadow, causing the men atop the wall to fidget as word was sent down to Takemaru that the demon was on his way.

- - - -

Fingers toyed with glossy black tresses as the girl slept in her silence. Such a pity that she'd  
decided to impale herself rather than face the death of a creature so foul… But demon possession was a terrible thing, and it drove humans to fathomless ends. Women were especially vulnerable to their twisted powers.

Setsuna Takemaru was going to make it a point that no other women should fall victim to a beast so foul as the Inu no Taishou of the West. Carefully, the young man bent and placed a fleeting, shallow kiss on the chilled lips of the one who'd won his heart so long ago.

'Fear not, Izayoi… I shall avenge your honor now.'

- - - -

Through the passages of the estate, Takemaru found himself outside, standing beside his quivering men. They feared the weight of his youki, and for good reason. It was natural human instinct to fear such a thing. But today, he would show the men that demons no longer needed to be feared.

He took up the weapon that had been shown to Izayoi earlier and caught the demon lord in the crosshairs. The white-haired devil now had his sword drawn, and the beast carrying him was racing toward them, evil intent plain in its gaze.

Just as the demon was about to shout something, the fuse was lit, and with a roar, a single, rounded lead ball was fired toward the TaiYoukai.

"Kaze no Ki-"

He was short of breath. Much too short, and his arm had seized up. Golden eyes looked with annoyance and confusion at his shoulder. An angry, gaping wound greeted his eyes then, and all at once, the dim reality caught up with the great General.

Pain.

Pain unlike any he'd felt in ages. Centuries, even. The Tessaiga dropped from his numb hand as  
Kuchinashi squealed, unnerved by his rider's sudden lack of connection. It was strange, really… For the demon, so indestructible, to see his own blood. It had been so long…

Another sound, the same as the first that had distracted him, caught his attention, and this time, when the lead caught him, the demon lord was thrown from his mount. The demon horse squealed again, and took off, thrown by the new sounds and scents put off by the mysterious weapon the humans now had.

His youki didn't seem to wish to heal these new wounds… Or perhaps he just didn't want to focus on healing them… Sesshoumaru was capable of handling the affairs at the fortress for a while… A vacation… would be nice…

As a clap of thunder sounded overhead, the humans stood, waiting. The body in the road was still,  
blood being washed down with the mud as the sky opened up, crying it's sorrow down upon the fallen demon and his human lover. Takemaru's face was hidden in shadow as he turned from the sight.

"Leave the body."

They left him in his blood, shot down like a dog for all the irony the gods could muster, and went back inside to retreat from the cold rain. Scarcely two inches from his hand, Tessaiga lay, waiting; waning with his power as the Lord of the West faded into myth.

- - - -

There was a storm building just beyond the edge of his senses. Despite the bright mood, lighting the frost-nipped path before the clawed feet of his mount, he could feel the pressure in the air as it dropped and festered, brewing up something cold and foul. The stars were hidden, and clouds once more obscured the moon.

Nearer he drew to the human settlement, the wind pulling on the silver strands of his long hair. He'd worked hard to keep himself from falling into the mistakes that had shaped his past to make him who he now was, but alas, the golden-eyed demon found himself drawn toward the human village like a moth to a guttering flame.

"Sango…"

Not unlike his father, so many years ago, Sesshoumaru moved like a specter in the night to be at the side of the human who'd captivated his mind.

~Owari~


End file.
